Eighty years ago today, the town of Bedford Virginia suffered perhaps the greatest single tragedy of the second world war. Twenty of its sons were killed in a matter of hours while storming the beaches of Normandy. To put this in perspective the total population of Bedford was four thousand, had this catastrophic event happened in New York City, the number would be the equivalent of forty-five thousand young men killed. (1)

A few weeks ago, I paid my respect to a portion of those young men. The ones whose bodies were repatriated or had cenotaphs in local cemeteries in the area. stories. Let us celebrate their lives as well as their sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.

1) Astor, Gerald. JUNE 6, 1944 (THE VOICES OF D DAY). New York, NY: Dell Publishing, 1994. Pg. 7

Staff Sergeant Leslie C. “Dickie” Abbott was born on October 7th, 1921 in Bedford Virginia. At the age of seventeen Abbott convinced his father to sign papers, so young Dickie could join the National Guard early. In the meantime, according to author Alex Kershaw “he (“Dickie”) rode around town on horseback, rolled his own cigarettes from tobacco he grew himself, kept an elaborate scrapbook, and was utterly devoted to his large God-fearing family.

There was nothing he enjoyed more than sitting down with them after a long day in the fields and feasting on fresh buttermilk, cornbread, and fried chicken.” (1) Before the war he was working in a textile plant and living with his grandmother who had raised him. It is said that he got his sense of humor from her “He loved to laugh. You could tell him anything and he’d just laugh.” His cousin Morris Scott would say years later. (2)

Eventually war would come, and Leslie C. “Dickie” Abbott would be assigned to “A” Co. 116th Infantry along with many other boys from Bedford. The 116th was attached to the 29th Division and sent to train in England. They boarded the Queen Mary with an escort of five destroyers and a British cruiser, HMS Curacoa. As the Queen Mary approached Scotland it was the Curacoa that guided her to the Forth of Clyde. It was a routine operation but at 2.12pm on October 2, 1942, disaster struck. The Queen Mary collided with the Curacoa. The Queen Mary suffered minimal damage but the Curacoa sank almost immediately from the impact of the huge ocean liner 338 lives were lost. Shaken, but safely on dry land in Scotland, the 29th moved by train to London and from there to Tidworth Barracks just ten miles from Stonehenge.

Dickie would write home often to his grandma he wrote, “he would like to work on the farm with Uncle Jerry.” But in (his last) letter, he was “sad, blue and all down in the dumps.” His grandmother wrote back expressing so many other grandparents’ hopes: “I pray our Dear Lord to be with you, protect and help you and bring you safely home. God bless and be with you, and each dear child in the service of our country. Dear God, be with dear little Dickie is the prayer of Grandmother and all the folks back home.” (3)
On June 6th, 1944, Staff Sergeant Abbott was most likely assigned to LCA 910, their mission storm Omaha beach.

Sub-Lieutenant Jimmy Green witnessed the men exit LCA 910 and hit the beaches of Normandy, his account is as follows. “They didn’t need to be ushered out and about they knew what they had to do.” It took over a minute for the other two rows to get out of the boat. The enemy still held their machine-gun fire. Green watched as (the) men waded, guns above their heads, through the water, snaking onto the beach in a long line. Green examined the bluffs above the D-1 draw. “They looked menacing, dark. You knew the Germans were there. It was creepy, especially because of the silence. We’d been expecting the Germans to open up as soon as we arrived. But they didn’t. It was the calm before the storm.” Green saw (the) men lie down on a slight incline. Green went back to work, ordering his coxswain to pull off the beach” (4) Kershaw describes the next moments of battle “(The) men started to advance, German officers finally ordered their men to fire. Above the Vierville draw, the (Germans) opened up with at least three MG-42 machine guns, firing over a thousand rounds per minute, and several mortars. Two dozen snipers lurked in nearby trenches. The slaughter was fast and merciless. (Abbott) and the twenty-nine men in his boat died in a matter of minutes, riddled by machine-gun bullets from several directions. “(5)
Staff Sergeant Abbott’s remains were the first to return to Bedford. His flag draped coffin was displayed on the courthouse steps on December 7th, 1947, the sixth anniversary of Pearl Harbor. Over two thousand people gathered to pay their respects, as the Bedford Fireman’s Band played “Nearer My God to Thee.” (6) He now rests at Oakwood Cemetery in Bedford Virginia, his duty complete.

1) Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys: One American Towns Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003. Pg. 25

2) Ibid, Pg. 26

3) Ibid, Pg. 66

4) Ibid, Pg. 86

5) Ibid, Pg. 87

6) Ibid, Pg. 194 

Captain Taylor N. Fellers was born on June 10th, 1914 in Goode’s Township, Bedford County Virginia. “Fellers was tall and thin, with a prominent chin and rolling gait”. (1) He was a natural leader and a great athlete throughout High School. In fact his prowess on the track team earned him the nickname “Tail Feathers”. (2) After High School Fellers got a job immediately with the highway department. His leadership ability would earn him a position as foreman. His income was extremely good for the depression allowing him to buy his sister piano lessons, and himself a Buick coupe. He used to driver her to Sunday school at the local Nazareth Methodist Church. In 1932, Fellers joined the National Guard. He was promoted to sergeant in 1935 and then took military correspondence courses to qualify for officer training. In 1940 Fellers married his sweetheart “a striking blonde named Naomi Newman.” (3)

When the war came Fellers was a Captain and made commanding officer of “A” Co. 116th Infantry. The 116th was attached to the 29th Division and sent to England on the Queen Mary to train for D-Day.

On June 2nd Captain Fellers took ill and was ordered to a military hospital. Fellers refused the order. He marched with his men to board the trucks that would take them to the shore. Once they arrived, they boarded the British troopship, the Empire Javelin.

Just after Breakfast on June 6th, 1944 Captain Fellers went for a walk and stopped to look off the deck of the Empire Javelin. He looked out at the dark waters thinking about what they were about to do. Despite telling his men “Company A would come back alive.”, (4) he knew the odds “having studied the Allied intelligence and countless aerial shots and concluded that Company A was being sent to face certain slaughter.” (5) Then “An anti-aircraft gun broke the silence, tracer bullets spitting through the sky, and then a searchlight caught the blaze of an exploding plane.” (6) This was it!

The Captain was put in charge of the men in LCA 910, and suffered the fate referenced in Staff Sergeant Abbott’s story.

The Fellers family found out about Taylor’s fate on July 10th Kershaw sets the scene…

“That afternoon, they (The Fellers family) sat in the shade of a tree in front of their home in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Taylor’s youngest sister, Bertie, suddenly saw a car pull up in the dusty driveway. The local mailman, a Mr. McCauley, his wife, and dark-haired teenage daughter, Ellen, got out of the car. “The whole family had decided to bring a letter to us,” recalled Bertie, “because they knew we were so anxious to hear the news.” 18 Bertie had sent her brother a card for his thirtieth birthday on June 10 but it had been returned to sender. She knew her mother and father had begun to suspect the worst. McCauley handed Taylor’s mother a letter postmarked from England. She couldn’t bear to open it, so she handed it to Ellen and asked her to read it. The letter was from Taylor’s friend in England, Mrs. Lunscomb. “Taylor had been to her home (shortly before D-Day),” recalled Bertie. “Several of the other Bedford boys went by her place too. She had kept in touch with my mother, sending her news.” 19 According to Mrs. Lunscomb, Taylor had died on D-Day. Ellen stopped reading. Bertie ran to her mother as she started to cry: “It was a long time before anybody could say anything.” (6)

“On Saturday, July 15, the Bedford Bulletin contained the following lines: I mourn for you in silence No eyes can see me weep But many a silent tear is shed While others are asleep. Never did I know that the gift that I sent Would mean so little to you on your birthday, June tenth; It will always break my heart and will cause many a tear Just to know your burial day would have been your thirtieth year.” (7) The poem was written by Naomi Newman, Taylor Fellers’s wife.

On June 6, 1954, in front of a sobbing crowd, Taylor Fellers’s mother unveiled the memorial of polished granite. It was carved from the very cave near Vierville sur Mer that served as the first command post of Major General Charles H. Gerhardt. It seemed to gleam in the sunshine.

Captain Fellers now rests in Greenwood Cemetery along with some of the men in his command.

1) Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys: One American Towns Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003. Pg. 12

2) Ibid, Pg. 23

3) Ibid, Pg. 24

4) Ibid, Pg. 12

5) Ibid, Pg. 12

6) Ibid, Pg. 179-180

7) Ibid, Pg. 180

Technical Sergeant Frank P. Draper Jr. was born on September 16th, 1918. His family was poor even for Bedford standards. As a child Frank would grab coal that fell off the railroad cars running near his home to help keep his family warm. He was a star athlete in baseball, basketball, football and track at Bedford High School. Frank worked in the spinning department at Hampton Looms. He was the centerfielder and lead-off batter for the company team; he also played for Mud Alley a tough neighborhood team. Draper, like many of the local young men, was also a member of the National Guard. He was enticed by the promise of a dollar every Monday night after marching practice at the Bedford Armory. (1)

As war loomed in 1940, the United States began to strengthen its military. In October, it was declared that Bedford’s National Guard Company “A” would be mobilized into the federal Army for a period of one year.

Four months later, on February 3, 1941, Draper and the other members of Company “A” reported to the Bedford Armory where they were issued new uniforms and sworn in. They were sent to Fort Meade, Maryland, home of the 29th Infantry Division where they were taught to be soldiers.

After their training was complete, they were ordered to England to prepare for the invasion. Before leaving Draper would get engaged to his sweetheart Nellie McKinney. While in England Draper put his baseball skills to use. He played for the 116th Infantry Regiment Yankees in a four-day tournament in London. The 116th team was an underdog, but Tech Sergeant Draper with his three hits, including two triples in the 6-3 final against 8th Air Force Fighter Command, gave the 116th team the ETO championship. (2) This was the last time Draper would play ball before the invasion.

“At 0400 on June 6th “the Bedford boys stood on deck ready to climb into the British LCAs that hung over the sides of the Empire Javelin suspended from davits. For a few moments, they stood in silence. It seemed that whatever each man was thinking formed part of some communal prayer. The silence was broken as an officer read Eisenhower’s final words of encouragement over the Javelin ’s public address system: Soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave allies and brothers in arms on the other fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.” (3)

Shortly after the words of encouragement from the Supreme Allied Commander, Tech Sgt. Draper boarded his LCA. As the LCA approached its objective it was struck with an antitank rifle bullet, Draper was hit, and his upper arm was torn off. Company A’s Private Russell Pickett recalls “Draper was still alive but unconscious (The) antitank rifle bullet had gone through his left shoulder and upper arm. You could see his heart beating.” (4) Drapers sister Verona was told that the men on the LCA urged Draper to lay down as he was covered in blood, but he refused. After much blood loss Drapers body gave out falling to the wet vomit covered deck, he would die a few hours later.

Draper’s mother was at work when she got the news, she ran out and never came back. His sister Verona recalls ““By the time I got home, one of the neighbors had brought the message to my mother that my brother Frank was dead. He was her first born. . . . There was no conversation, just a lot of crying and carrying on. My mother [Mary Draper] was in bed. She had just given up.” (4) Franks brother David was serving as a Navy Seabee in the Pacific Theater when he got the news David recalls, “He was cleaning his eating utensils when his lieutenant commander took him aside and told him that his brother Frank was dead. “He said I could take two days off. I said: ‘No, I don’t want to.’ I had a job to do beating the Japanese. . . . They weren’t like us. They were brutal. But we got to be just like ’em in the end. Just like animals. That’s what it took to win.” (5)

To mark Franks twenty sixth birthday his mother wrote a poem that was featured in the Bedford Bulletin it reads,

“I can’t even see your grave except in a dream. Now my mind wanders thousands of miles across the mighty deep. To a lonely little mound in a foreign land where the body of my dear soldier boy might be lain away. This tired, homesick soldier boy who attended church in Bedford all his life. He was not buried in a nice casket, flowers and funeral procession. His dear body was laid to rest in a blood-soaked uniform. Maybe it was draped in an American flag. There will not be any more cruel wars where you have gone, dear Frank. . . . The old rugged cross has a two-fold meaning for me, for my own dear boy shed his precious blood like Jesus on the cross at Calvary. For our religious freedom, they say. A dear price to pay.” (6)

Franks body was returned to the United States in 1947. His family met the train at night and Frank’s coffin was draped in a flag surrounded by an honor guard. Draper’s mother wanted the casket to be brought back to the house so that Frank could be at home. The undertaker had to squeeze the casket through the window to fulfill this request. A few days later as the family gathered at the funeral parlor. Frank’s mother wanted to see her son one last time, they opened the coffin to see Frank still in his uniform. Verona remembers that “His face looked like if you blew on it the skin would just float away.” (7)

Tech. Sgt. Draper now rests in Greenwood Cemetery Bedford Virginia. His head stone reads…..

“Erected In Sad But Loving Memory Of Our Dear Son And Brother, Technical Sergeant Frank Draper Jr. Co. A 116TH, Inf. Reg. Va. National Guard 29TH Division,
Who Was Killed In The Invasion Of Normandy, France, June 6, 1944, Aged 26 Years.

Our Precious Son From Us Is Gone, His Voice We Loved is Still, His Place Is Vacant In Our Home Which Never Can Be Filled, We loved You, Juney. Dearly Loved you. But God Loved You Best. He Took You Home To Heaven Where All Is Peace And Rest.
Our Loss Is Heaven Gain. Father, Mother, Brother, And Sister.”

1) Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys: One American Towns Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003. Pg.14
2) Stars and Stripes, October 1, 1943
3) Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys: One American Towns Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003. Pg.79
4) Ibid, Pg. 185
5) Ibid, Pg. 186
6) Ibid Pg. 189
7) Ibid, 195

Private John D. Clifton Was born on June 18th, 1923 in Bedford Virginia. Like many young boys John had a job delivering newspapers. He attended Bedford High School and was a known as a “quiet, trustworthy pupil with a gentle sprite”. (1) An example of his spirit, is the story his mother told about when J.D. (as he was known) ignored the harassment he received for dating a Jewish girl and continued to see her through High School. After High School J.D. Joined National Guard. On February 3rd, 1941 the unit was activated, and like the others he was assigned to “A” Co. 116th Infantry. The 116th was attached to the 29th Division and sent to England on the Queen Mary to train for D-Day.
While in England Clifton established himself as quite the ladies’ man. This was due to “an unbeatable combination of Southern charm, penetrating brown eyes, courtesy of his Cherokee Indian ancestry, and a slim but muscular build.” (2)

He would eventually stop tomcatting when he met an English girl at a dance, and they became engaged. Private Clifton was made a radio operator, and on D-Day as his LCA was approaching the beach the antenna broke off his radio set. Clifton asked if he should abandon it and was told to take it with him as radio communications were vital for a successful mission. Private Clifton shouldered his set, and after a slight ramp malfunction he hit the beach. As this was the second wave of the attack the first site J.D. would have seen were the bodies of his dead and wounded comrades scattered about the shore. Private Clifton was last seen alive by Lt. Nance the squad leader, who witnessed Clifton “crawling, his radio still on his back. The radio was useless, and it made him a sitting target. He should dump it fast, thought Nance. “Keep moving, keep moving,” shouted Nance. “I’m hit,” cried Clifton. “Can you move?” asked Nance. Clifton didn’t answer. Nance ducked and then looked up again. Clifton had disappeared.” (3)

Private Clifton’s body was returned to Bedford in 1947, and the arrangements were taken care by J.D.’s father. Clifton now rests in Greenwood Cemetery.

1. Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys: One American Towns Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003. Pg. 46
2. Ibid, Pg. 46
3. Ibid, Pg. 90

Private John F. Reynolds was born in Bedford Virginia on November 22nd, 1922. Throughout High School Reynolds worked on the family farm. He was very close to his family especially, his mother whom he convinced to let him join the National Guard. On February 3rd, 1941 the unit was activated, and like the others he was assigned to “A” Co. 116th Infantry. The 116th was attached to the 29th Division and sent to England on the Queen Mary to train for D-Day.
While in England Reynolds got a reputation for being wild guy, a friend recalls “He drank so much one night he came back to the barracks and peed in John Clifton’s bed. He was like a lot of those boys. Most of them didn’t have much chance here in Bedford but they were good-looking, and over there they put that uniform on and they were something.” (1)

Reynolds sure was something he soon met and fell in love with Kathleen Bradshaw, a nurse from Quinby, Virginia. According to family they were head over heels and where to be married as the end of the war.
Private Reynolds was made a runner for Co. “A”. His job was to run messages from Captain Fellers to HQ. Reynolds was assigned the same LCA as Private Clifton, he reached the beach as a swarm of bullets surrounded the men. Lt. Nance saw a member of Co. A running to avoid the machine gun fire and recognized him as Reynolds.

Lt. Nance describes Pvt. Reynolds last moments as such “Reynolds stopped, knelt down and raised his rifle to return fire. He never got to pull the trigger. Nance saw him fall dead.” (2)

Pvt. Reynolds sister remembers when the telegram informing the family of his death was delivered. Her mom read it and immediately sat down and cried. She also has memories of her mother reading Pvt. Reynolds letters on Sunday afternoons for years later.

His sweetheart Kathleen Bradshaw sent a poem to the Bedford Bulletin in order to remember her lost love it reads….

“How sad I was that lonely day When I heard that you’d been called away . . .
I can’t forget your smiling face, Full of love,
friendship and grace; God called you on that other shore,” (3)

He now rests in Greenwood Cemetery, Bedford Virginia.

1) Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys: One American Towns Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003. Pg. 55
2) Ibid, Pg. 90
3) Ibid, Pg. 189

Master Sergeant John L Wilkes was born in North Fork Virginia on July 20th, 1919. He grew up on a 149-acre farm. His father was a miner in West Virginia who was seldom home but would send money back for the family. The Wilkes’s were poor, but they never were in need. John left High School at 16 and started work as part-time mining feldspar on a local farm. Wilkes joined the National Guard to make some extra money. He rapidly showed himself to be as robust a soldier as Company “A” had ever seen. Because of his honesty and immense self-control, both inherited from his father, he was soon promoted to master sergeant. He wanted things done by the book, the army way, or not at all.

John Wilkes would meet Bettie Peters Krantz at a football game at her high school, the New London Academy, just outside Bedford. She said that what she saw in John was a romantic, sensitive, passionate man. She described their relationship as such “John and I were probably typical of most young people growing up in the prewar America of the late 1930s,” she recalled. “[We] had not traveled far beyond the confines of the farm or village, but there were things like the jitterbug to be learned at local dances, songs like “Deep Purple” to be sung, money to be saved to see Gone with the Wind , a movie which was an unheard-of four hours long! A time to be envied in most respects, safe and carefree.” (1)

However, the carefree times would soon come to an end. A few months after their marriage the Japanese would bomb Pearl Harbor, thrusting the United States into war. On September 22nd, 1942 the Bedford Boys of “A” Co. 116th Infantry would be leaving their base in Florida to head north and then overseas. Bettie would travel down too see her husband off she recalls the scene in Kershaw’s book “I’m coming back, you can believe that,” John Wilkes told Bettie. There was time for one last kiss. Then Master Sergeant Wilkes stepped away. “Well, looks like time we got to shove off,” he said. Wilkes turned towards Company A. “All right, men!” he shouted. “Fall in!” The men snapped into perfect formation. Not a head turned towards the women. “Forward, march!” Wilkes ordered. “Hut, two, three, four! Hut . . . ” Bettie and the other Bedford girls waved goodbye. “Oh my, they looked very fine,” recalled Bettie. “They made us feel proud.” (2)
Msg. Wilkes was a hard disciplinarian while in the England. He had put on some weight and was an imposing figure when angry, one solder from New York said of the Master Sergeant that “he looked like a huge “wall” about to fall on him.” (3) Wilkes had good reason to be hard on his men he was preparing them for combat.

That combat came on June 6th, Msg, Wilkes LCA approached the beach and the British bowman, shouted ““We’re going to drop this ramp and as soon as we do, we’re going to back out, so you guys better be ready.” (4) Then the ramp crashed into the ground and the doors flung open Wilkes ran out into a burst of machine gun fire men were falling all around him. Msg. Wilkes was one of the ones who made it onto the shore. He and another soldier started firing, when Wilkes asked the solder what they were firing at neither knew. Master Sergeant John L Wilkes was last seen firing his M-1 Garand rifle at the defensive installations when he was shot and killed. The man next to him was cut in two by machinegun fire.

Bettie was on her way home from work. She made a quick stop to pick up one last item for a care package she was sending to John, when she first found out Johns fate. “Bettie stared in disbelief and shock. She managed somehow to make her way back to the rooms she shared with her sister at Ramsey Apartments, the first new building in Bedford since the war started. The next few days were a blur. but within a week, she recalled, “Family and friends had just about convinced me that the letter could not be true, and that I would have been notified by the government first. They insisted I wait until I got official word before I gave up hope. They kept telling me it was probably a mistake even though no letters or news was yet received from John. So I decided to go back to work and wait for official word.” (5) Official word came on July 17th while Bettie was at work she broke down in tears and immediately thought “the love of my life is dead” (6) She would write ““Life seems so useless without you darling, There is only one hope left now, to meet you up there where there is no night but eternal rest and peace.” (7)

Msg. Wilkes now rests at Greenwood Cemetery in Bedford, Virginia.

1) Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys: One American Towns Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003. Pg. 24
2) Ibid, Pg. 28-29
3) Ibid, Pg. 55
4) Ibid, Pg. 87
5) Ibid, Pg. 179
6) Ibid, Pg. 184
7) Ibid, Pg. 187

Private Jack Powers was born on April 18th, 1920, In Bedford Virginia. He was an imposing man standing six feet tall and weighing two hundred pounds “all of in muscle”. (1) Jacks sister Eloise remembers Jack as being “handsome, bighearted man who loved to dance and play the guitar.” (2) Private Powers could jitterbug to Tommy Dorsey tunes and many a Bedford girl enjoyed a spin around the dance floor with him. Jack had a job in a rubber plant before joining the National Guard. Like most of the Bedford boys Jack was assigned to “A” Co. 116th Infantry. When the war came Jack marched out of Bedford with the men of the 116th while his sister played clarinet in the Fireman’s Band.

While in England Jack was selected for the Ranger program and took part in specialized training for several weeks. During this time Jack was promoted to Sergeant, however this group of rangers was disbanded. Jack although happy to be back with his friends from Bedford, was also upset at losing an opportunity to be a member of such an elite force. This anger lead Jack to go AWOL and be reduced in rank back to private. By all other accounts Jack was a great soldier, he even developed games for the men that helped to inspire trust amongst them.

On the early morning hours of June 6th one of the Bedford Boys Sgt. Roy Stevens had a run in with Private Powers “He was just carrying on, all nervous. Things were very tense. Everybody was ready to go, ready to do something at last.” Stevens looked around. It seemed that the men fell into two groups. Those who had already decided they were “going to die,” and those who hoped “to make it through.” (3) Private Powers would not survive the Invasion.

On June 11th Sgt. Roy Stevens and Jacks Brother Clyde (also a member of “A” Co.) decided to walk through a makeshift cemetery. Here is where they found Jack’s dog tags affixed to a cross. Beneath the cross was Jacks body wrapped in a bed roll as coffins were not available. Private Jack Powers body remains in France at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial. This cenotaph was place in Greenwood cemetery Bedford Virginia so his family could honor his memory.

1) Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys: One American Towns Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003. Pg. 19
2) Ibid
3) Ibid, Pg. 79 

Staff Sergeant Earl L. Parker was born on January 22nd, 1914 in Bedford Virginia. He was known for being lighthearted and having a great sense of humor. Parker enjoyed baseball and hunting, in fact Earl was also a great shot recalled his brother Billy “(Earl Was) Able to hit a dime at thirty-five yards with a .22 rifle,”. (1) After High School Earl worked at the Piedmont Label Company, which printed labels for canned goods. He also joined the National Guard for the extra money. Earl would be assigned to “A” Co. 116th infantry.

On January 26th, 1942 Earl would marry Annie Viola Shrader. Viola would say that Earl was the love of her life. Later that year the boys of the 116th would move out. Viola would see Earl off at the train station and informed him she was pregnant. Viola would give birth to their daughter while Earl was in England. He was convinced they were going to have a boy so before Earl left, he and Viola agreed on the name Danny, Viola named their daughter just that. While in England Earl missed his family, especially around Christmas he wrote Danny saying “I sure hope I will be there next Christmas. I don’t suppose you will know your Daddy when he comes home. I don’t believe it will take us long to get acquainted. Don’t tell mother that I said this, but I love her a lot and think she is real sweet. I wish I could be there with you and Mother tonight. With all my love, Daddy.” (2)

On June 4th the time came to board the troop ship to begin the invasion, Earl entertained the men by walking down some stairs with his hands to break the tension. Later in the evening the mood darkened, Sergeant Roy Stevens recalled SSG. Parker pulling out a picture of his daughter and saying, “If I could just see her once,” Parker said, “I wouldn’t mind dying.” (3) When Staff Sergeant Earl Parker hit the beach, he was struck by a mortar and killed instantly. His body was then washed out to sea.
On June 17th Earl’s parents received a telegram that informed them that he was missing. A few weeks later Viola still hopefully that Earl was alive received a package containing the letters she had sent to him in England, she still refused to believe the worst. Viola later got a telegram confirming her fears in an interview recalling that day she stated, “You’re so hit that you don’t cry, you don’t do anything,”. (4) Later that day she thought that she needed to dust and ended up dusting the entire house. She than picked up Danny and went for a walk. When she stopped at Earl and her favorite spot Viola told Danny “Well, Danny,” we’re going to make it . . . we’re going to make it.” (5) They did.

Earls parents were hit particularly hard, Earl would die on the 6th of June 1944, their other son Joseph would be KIA on August 27th, and Billie would be a POW for a year. When Billie came home in 1945, he was not aware of his brothers’ deaths his father had to break the news to him.

Staff Sergeant Earl L. Parker’s body was never recovered. He is memorialized on two cenotaphs one at the Wall of the Missing at Normandy American Cemetery in France, and the other at Oakwood Cemetery in Bedford Virginia.

1) Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys: One American Towns Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003. Pg. 25
2) Ibid, Pg. 52
3) Ibid, Pg. 77
4) Ibid, Pg. 184 

Sergeant Gordon H. White, Jr was born on December 31st in Forest Virginia. He was quiet, religious, and loved to farm. His sister recalls “As a young boy, he had raced home from school every afternoon, changed into work clothes and stuffed apples into his pockets to snack on as he labored until nightfall on (the) family’s farm. He liked to plow, he just liked to be out on the farm, He just liked the dirt.” (1) After High School White found a job on a farm, and in 1939 he joined the National Guard. He too was assigned to “A” Co. of the 116th Infantry.

White and the Bedford Boys shipped out to England in 1942. While in England White longed for his mother’s cooking, as he was not a fan of Army or English food. On the morning of June 6th SSG. White was most likely assigned to LCA 910. He suffered the same fate as Capt. Fellers, and SSG. Abbott.

His body was returned to the United States on February 19th ,1948. Whites mother would have a massive stroke the next day. Gordon’s father postponed the funeral as long as he could, but it took place while White’s mother was still in a coma. She would die in 1958. SSG. White’s father had to run the household and never got over his sons’ death. The elder White held on to his grief, and all his sons’ possessions. Going so far as to not put down Gordon’s favorite horse Major. even though it was old an infirm.

Staff Sergeant Gordon H. White, Jr now rests at ​Forest Baptist Church Cemetery in Forest Virginia.

1) Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys: One American Towns Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003. Pg. 17

Tech. Sergeant Ray Stevens was born on August 19th, 1919. Ray was one of fourteen children; he went to school in a one room schoolhouse before finding a job to help his family with the depression. Ray and his twin brother Roy would also stage boxing matches, at the local gas station for extra money. However, their brother would usually take it all and visit his girlfriend. Ray and Roy were thick as thieves, they went out together all the time and even dated sisters. In 1938 the twins purchased a 136-acer farm so that their parents would have a place to live, and as a place they can work once the depression was over. While the Stevens brothers waited for crop prices to rise, they made ends meet by working day jobs, and joining the National Guard. They were assigned to “A” Co. 116th Infantry.

In September of 1942 the men of “A” Co. were sent to New York before embarking to England. While in New York The Stevens twins were issued a 24hr pass, they decided to go to Washington D.C. While in D.C. they went out and visited some friends, after a few drinks Ray opened up about his thoughts on the war saying, “if I go over, I won’t be coming back.” (1) The day came to ship off and the 116th climbed aboard the Queen Mary. While on the deck the twins watched the New York City Skyline fade away “I feel scared,” Ray told Roy, voicing many of the men’s feelings. “I never felt scared like this before.” (2)

During the trip Ray spent time below decks reading the Bible. When they got to England Ray was assigned to lead a mortar squad. He became the most proficient man with a mortar in the company and was put in charge of training others.

After 4am on June 6th aboard the troop ship the Bedford Boys went to their assigned boat stations. Roy and Ray had different assignments; Roy found Ray to wish him luck. In an interview Roy recalled the scene “Ray stuck out his hand for Roy to shake. Roy refused it. “I’ll shake your hand in Vierville sur Mer,” he said, “up at the crossroads above the beach, later this morning sometime.” Ray bowed his head and held out his hand again. “I’m not gonna make it.” Of course, he would (Roy thought). Roy still refused to shake Ray’s hand. He’d do it later . . . after they’d crossed Omaha Beach.” (3) They would never get that chance. Ray’s prediction came true, he was killed trying to take Omaha Beach.

On June 11th Sgt. Roy Stevens and Jack Powers Brother Clyde (also a member of “A” Co.) decided to walk through a makeshift cemetery. Roy went to the section marked S and started to scrape the mud off some dog tags they were his brother Rays.

Roy wrote a poem to his mother about the loss of Ray….

“I’ll never forget that morning. It was the 6th day of June. I said farewell to brother. Didn’t think it would be so soon. I had prayed for our future. That wonderful place called home, but a sinner’s prayer wasn’t answered. Now I would have to go there alone . . . Oh brother, I think of you all through this sleepless night. Dear Lord, he took you from me and I can’t believe it was right. This world is so unfriendly. To kill now is a sin. To walk that long narrow road. It can’t be done without him. Dear Mother, I know your worries. This is an awful fight. To lose my only twin brother and suffer the rest of my life. Now, fellas, take my warning. Believe it from start to end. If you ever have a twin brother, don’t go to the battle with him.” (4)

When the telegram got to the Stevens residence in Bedford it had said Roy was listed as missing on June 6th. The Stevens family was confused having received a letter from Roy post marked after the 6th. For a time, they thought both sons may have been killed. When Roy returned home, he met his parents on the front they were crying. Their father was really shaken by Ray’s death since they were very close and would work on the farm together often. Roy too was deeply affected he took to drinking “I tried to forget, wash the memories away,” he said. “But you can’t. As soon as that whiskey dries out it all comes right back.” (5) Roy said in an interview.

On the 50th Anniversary of the invasion Roy Stevens would return to Normandy. When he crossroads in Vierville sur Mer, the promised rendezvous with his brother. Roy stuck his hand out as if to shake his brother hand like they agreed to do 50 years prior.
Ray Stevens now rests in Greenwood Cemetery in Bedford Virginia.

1) Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys: One American Towns Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003. Pg. 30
2) Ibid, Pg. 34
3) Ibid, Pg. 80
4) Ibid, Pg. 175
5) Ibid, Pg. 193

Private Wallace R. Carter Was Born on January 23rd, 1923 in Bedford Virginia. Wallace was known as a fun-loving guy. He grew up poor in the same neighborhood as Technical Sergeant Frank P. Draper, Jr. Like Draper, Carter played for the Mud Alley Wildcats Baseball Team. Wallace worked at the Bedford Pool Hall where he hustled extra money by playing eight ball. Private Carter also had an emotional side according to Roy Stevens “(Carter) jumped off a bridge after falling out with a girlfriend. Fortunately, his fall was broken by a bank and he was only slightly injured.” (1) When Carter turned eighteen, he would join the National Guard and be assigned to “A” Co. 116th infantry.

While on the Queen Mary Carter occupied his time by playing cards and dice, earning the name “Snake-Eyes”. When they reached England, Private Carter would begin to drink heavily. At one point he even brought a canteen full of black-market whisky with him when they switched camps and “took a good swig every few miles.” (2)

On the morning of June 6th, Private Wallace R. Carter was assigned to LCA 910, and was killed as soon as the gangplank was lowered to storm the beach.

Private Carters mother applied for the military headstone he lies beneath, at Greenwood Cemetery in Bedford Virginia.

1) Kershaw, Alex. The Bedford Boys: One American Towns Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2003. Pg. 19
2) Ibid, Pg. 42 

These men are just a mere fraction of the at least 10,000 allied casualties that gave their last full measure of devotion on the beaches and cliffs of Normandy on June 6th 1944. Let us never forget their sacrifice that was given to make other people free.